Successful intervention in County Lines case – charges dropped
We were engaged to provide an expert witnesses statement in the case of SH who had been charged with supply of Class A drugs.
SH had a number of adverse childhood experiences including domestic violence and family drug addiction all of which made him extremely vulnerable. His schooling was disrupted by his absences through crisis and to top that off, he lived in an area controlled by gangs.
At the age of 15 he started using cannabis and quickly ran up £100 of debt to his dealer. He was instructed to work off the debt by dealing for gang – a County Lines organised crime group. He was put in a car, taken to Kent and put to work in a cuckooed address.
On his 16th birthday police raided the address and SH was arrested. Very quickly interest was added to his debt along with the costs of the drugs lost to the police and he was told he owed £10,000.
His exploiters got him addicted to heroin and crack as another control mechanism. When he tried to leave he was slashed across his back with a Stanley knife.
All of the trafficking indicators of child criminal exploitation were obvious but were ignored by the authorities. They chose to prosecute him.
On receipt of our evidence which included a full review of the investigation, the Crown dropped all charges.
SH is back living with his mother, he has a job, and he now has a chance for a more positive future.
